Garment



Sept. l, 1942. A. A. x-:cKERLlNG GARMENT Filed May 28, 1940 @Jammu Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,294,859 GARMENT Aaron A. Eckerling, Chicago, Ill. Application May 28, A1940, Serial No. 337,636

4 Claims.

My invention relates in general to garments, and more particularly to improvements in the construction of trouser legs and shirt sleeves, and specifically to garments having trouser legs or shirt sleeves which will retain for substantial periods of time the configuration in which they are placed by the user, even after the garment is old and well-worn.

While the invention has a broad field of usefulness, I have found it of particular utility in the construction of overalls and coveralls, and I therefore find it convenient to describe the invention in connection with such garments, it being understood, however, that such limited elds of specific description are employed purely for purposes of illustration of an example of the utility of the invention in its several phases, which embrace novel constructions of overalls, Coveralls, trousers, work pants, slacks and the like for men, women and children, as well as knee-pants for children, shorts for adults, and shirts and sport shirts.

It is customary for purchasers of overalls, coveralls, and the like to buy them too large, first in order that the garment may not be rendered useless by shrinkage after washing, and secondly because such garments often are worn over ordinary trousers and must therefore be larger than the ordinary garments Worn by the user. Therefore it is often desirable to turn up the bottom of the trouser leg of the garment and thus form a cuff. After the garment has been laundered, the denim or other fabric from which it is constructed often becomes so limp that the trouser legs will not remain in rolled-up position. The garment then presents an unattractive appearance in use, and is liable to become unduly soiled and bedraggled.

Garments constructed in accordance with the present invention surmount the disadvantages and inadequacies of prior art constructions.

Thus it will be seen that an object of my invention is to provide a novel overall construction whereby the trousers legs may be rolled up in any convenient position and will remain in said position after being so rolled up, even though the overalls are old and have been subjected to numerous launderings.

Another object is to provide a garment with a retaining member therein which will not cut through the fabric or change its relative position in the garment, and which will be invisible and will not interfere .with the normal use, handling, or laundering of the garment.

Another object is to provide a pair of trousers,

nary appearance, and which nevertheless will possess and indefinitely retain the properties of being capable of being readily rolled up and of maintaining said rolled up position.

Another object is to provide a garment, the sleeves or legs of which are capable of being successively adjusted to various lengths a large number of times.

Another object is to accomplish the purposes above set forth without materially increasing the cost of manufacture of my new improved garments over that of ordinary garments.

Another object is to provide a garment whose cus may be adjusted in the ordinary manner, so that no complicated procedures requiring elaborate instructions are required of the wearer.

Another object is to provi-de a garment having sleeves which will not roll up at the edges.

Another object is to provide a construction which will attain the above named objects without interfering with the processes -of laundering, pressing, or the like.

Another object is to attain the foregoing objects without subjecting the wearer to possible risk of injury, and without weakening the fabric` from which the garment is constructed, or subjecting it to any hazard of being torn or punctured in the course of laundering or other handling.

Another object is to provide an improved garment having supporting members which will not stain or discolor the fabric thereof, either in the course of wear or of laundering.

Another object is to provide a garment which Will retain its advantageous features over long periods of time.

Another object is to provide a. garment which will have the advantages above set forth and which,nevertheless, will not interfere with the movements of the wearer.

Another object is to provide an improved garment of simple construction which will be easy to manufacture, easy to wear, and easy to launder.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

To attain the above objects or such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing for purposes of illustrating the structure of the garments above described, in which drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of overall pants the legs of which in all respects will be of ordiembodying my invention, with the leg or calf fabric 2 of the garment.

portions indicated at I and the ankle portions, which have been turned up to form cuffs, shown at 2.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of an end of a garment embodying my invention, such as the leg portion I and cuff region 2 of the overall pants shown in Fig. 1, or the knee region of knee-pants for children or shorts for adults, or the elbow portion of a shirt having short sleeves, or the ankle portion of womens slacks, workmens coveralls, suspender overalls, or the like.

Fig. 2A is an enlarged section taken on the line 2A-2A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 are side elevations illus-- trating typical constructions of the support or stiffening member forming an element of my invention, and shown diagrammatically at '4 in Figs. 2 and 3 in position in combination with the fabric of the garment.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative :embodiment of the supporting structure element 'of'my invention, and

Fig. 9 is a detail somewhat similar'to'Fig. 2 and vshowing the end of a shirt sleeve or trousers leg embodying `another form of my invention in which the retaining member has the'form shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be Aseen at Fig. 1 that my improvedgarments do not -stituting the seam, so thatsaid support 4 is not visible either when the garment is in its usual condition or when it is turned inside out.

After the support A4 has been put in place, the

hem 'I'is turned up and sewed in the usual way. This prevents the support 4 from falling out of thef garment.

Fig. 3, which is a cross section on the line 3'3 of Fig. 2, shows the manner in which the supports 4 are concealed in the passageways which the rows of stitching 6 form in the seams 8, 8, said seams being formed by overlapping the Thus it will be seen that the support is completely enclosed, and

if'the support somehow should be'fractured, the fabric of the seam 8 protects the wearer of the garment from being scratched or pricked by the broken ends of the support. Since the support ldoes not come into contact with the wearer, it `isnot necessary to restrict the materials from which it is made, on that account. If desired,

'the support 4 may be anchored in place by obstructing the passageway in the seam 8 above the support by means of stitching, stapling, ad-

hesives, a plug, or otherwise, as shown Vat 5.

Alternatively, the support 4 may extend into `the hem I, so that turning up said hem 'I bends reference to Fig. 2A, this construction securely anchors the support 4, so that it cannot work ou't of the garment. Neither can it work vaway fromthe terminal region oftheleg or'isleeve and -of 1 the 4garment.

migrate toward the body portion of the garment. Of course, the hook 9 and the closure 5 may be utilized simultaneously, if desired.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, two seams are shown, each containing one support. My invention also embraces constructions having a support or supports in only one seam of a trouser leg or shirt sleeve, the remaining seams being conventional. The invention further includes constructions in which'a plurality of supports is provided in one seam, or in more than one seam.

Fig. 4 shows one form of support, comprising a rod, tube, or strip of any cross-sectional shape and cut to the desired length.

Fig. 5 illustrates a preferred form of support, in which the ends II), I0 are bent lback upon the bodyofthe support. Thus the support is pro- .videdswith rounded end regions and any risk of cutting or piercing the fabric of the garment is eliminated. Slight 'displacement of the support the construction shown in Fig. 5 provides 'an effective cross-sectional area large enough to impede or prevent substantial displacement of the support from the position in which it is placed in the garment.

Fig. 6 discloses another construction ofthe support, in which one or both ends of the support are turned back upon the body'thereof and `securely fastened thereto by twisting the end 'about the shaft of the support, as illustrated `at vII Fig. 7 discloses still another `type of support It is to be understood that protective coverings such'as thosefillustrated in Fig. '7 may be-utilized in conjunction with 'any of ythe constructions or modicationsof the supporting members which I employ in the manufacture of my new improved garments.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate yet another construction of support for my 'new garments. In this construction, two wires, rods, or'strips I3 "and I4 are fabricated into a'support'which notonly reinforcesthe leg or elbow portion vI offtheJgarment, but valso'reiriforces l'and imparts 'rigidity to the hem region andthe cuil" region.

Fig. 9 shows how the support structure of Fig."8 is incorporated into'the'garment in such fa :way as to be inconspicuous, 4the''end-supporting portion being concealed-'in the hem 'I -and the -leg or sleeve portion being concealed within @the seam '8. l

'It is to be understood, however, vthat while I have Vhereinabove `discussed preferred embodiments of my invention, variations therefrommay be made without departing from'thescope of A'my invention. Forexamplejthe supporting members need not be concealed in the's'eams ofthefgarment, but may be placed anywhere onftheperipheryv ofthe end regionsv of the'sleevcs o'rflegs However, in I the course -Jof l my manufacturing experience, I'have "found iit 'preferable to incorporate `'the supports 'within the seams, which usuallyfareFat-tlieasides of thei garment about removed'fromfthecreaseswhich are'formed when the' garment is pressed.

To be suitable Vfor'the-purposes of myinvention, the supporting members, no matter what their form, must have the property of being capable of being readily bent to any desired configuration, and of thereafter retaining said configuration until again altered by the application of a force -other than the weight of the garment. Thus, turning up a, cuff on a trouser leg embodying my invention bends the support 4 (or I3 and I4) into a hook shape. The support possesses sufficient rigidity and stability to thereafter retain the trouser leg in its rolled up position, and to prevent the cuiT from falling down, no matter how limp the fabric of the garment may be. Whenever it is desired to alter the length of the sleeve or trouser leg, it is only necessary to form the cui'f at another point, by unrolling the former cuff and then turning up the fabric to the desired position.

A number of pliable, relatively inelastic materials are'suitable for the construction of the supports which I utilize in my new improved garments. One of the best is wire drawn from what is known in the trade as dead soft S. A. E. #1010, which is open hearth basic iron. This material has the following chemical composition:

Carbon 0.06% to 0.10%. Manganese 0.25% to 0.40%. Sulfur 0.050% or less. Phosphorous 0.040% or less. Copper Low.

Nickel Low.

Silicon Mill practice. Iron To make 100.0%.

The wire preferably should have a tensile strength less than 65,000 lbs. per square inch.

I have found that this wire in No. 25 B & S. gauge (American wire gauge (Brown 8: Sharpe) English units), having a diameter of 0.01790 inch, is admirably adapted to the fabrication of denim overalls, Coveralls, and the like, embodying my invention. It is convenient to make the supports about 8 inches to 10 inches in length. While any length would come within the scope of my claims, a length of 8 inches to l0 inches is adequate to reinforce the garment at the ends of the leg or sleeve portions, and to provide for as wide a cuif as is likely to be desired, and yet not extend so far as to interfere with bending movements at the knee or elbow, or subject the support to unnecessary flexing in the course of such movements.

The above-described wire is bent without noticeable effort when the trousers leg is rolled up to form a cuff, even though the trousers leg is grasped at points remote from the support or supports. The supports are negligible in weight in comparison with the rest of the garment, and retain the configuration in which they are placed despite the weight of the garment fabric, thus supporting the latter, and maintaining the cuff in the condition in which the user places it.

I prefer to cadmium plate the supports after they have been cut and formed to shape, in order that they may be rustproo-f and resist frequent laundering, dampness, and the like. Galvanized iron wire may also be used, or dead soft stainless steel, or copper, or any other material which has dead soft characteristics-that is to say, any material which is relatively inelastic, and sufficiently rigid. It is desirable that the material selected be of a kind which can be repeatedly bent and vstraightened at the same point without fracturing. The metals and alloys above referred to possess this desirable characteristic.

The supports need not be of chemically inert composition, nor need they be plated with a protective metal coating. Instead, they may be uncoated, or coated with any protective covering, including lacquers, enamels, and paints, flexible coatings of course being preferred.

Thus it will be seen that I have fully7 disclosed new constructions for garments, which new constructions obviate disadvantages of prior constructions, and accomplish the objects hereinabove set forth. It will also be appreciated that my new improved garments have the prime advantage of simplicity-simplicity in design, mode of fabrication, and manner of use.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its utility, I claim:

l. In a trousers structure including a trunk portion and leg portions, a seam in each leg portion extending from below the knee region to the distal end thereof for imparting enhanced rigidity to said distal portion to prevent the co1- lapsebf a cuif formed upon said distal portion,

said seam comprising overlapped edges of the trousers fabric, a length of dead-soft non-rusting wire completely enclosed between said overlapped edges and terminating in loops adapted to prevent said wire from puncturing said trousers fabric, spaced rows of stitching joining said overlapped fabric and confining said wire therebetween, and means for anchoring said wire in said seam.

2. Trousers comprising a trunk portion and leg portions, each of said leg portions including a seam constructed and arranged to impart enhanced rigidity to said leg porti-on from below the knee region to the distal end thereof, thereby preventing the collapse of a cuff formed by turning the end of said leg portion back upon itself, said seam comprising overlapped edges of the trousers fabric, dead-soft iron wire enclosed between said overlapped edges, and spaced rows of stitching joining said overlapped edges and conning said wire therebetween.

3. In a trousers structure including a trunk portion and leg portions, a seam in each leg portion extending from below the knee region to the distal end thereof, said seam comprising overlapped edges of the trousers fabric, a form retaining element of pliable stiff material enclosed between said overlapped edges and terminating in loops, spaced rows of stitching joining said overlapped fabric and conning said ele-V ment therebetween, and means for anchoring said element in said seam.

4. Trousers comprising a trunk portion and leg portions, each of said leg portions including a seam adapted to impart enhanced rigidity to said leg portion from below the knee region to the distal end thereof, said seam comprising overlapped edges of the trousers fabric, a pliable support of stiff material enclosed between said overlapped edges, and spaced rows of stitching joining said overlapped edges and confining said support therebetween.

AARON A. ECKERLING, 

